If you are you an independent birdwatcher, who does not care for large group tours, then Birdingpaltours is for you

Our tours are flexible, safe and the use of a local guide lets you participate in the planning

A local guide knows all the hotspots and you get the most out of your trip

You select the date and length for a trip to suit youself

If your time is limited, we’ll design a tour to fit your needs

A professional Birdingpal guide can customize your tour, and you will see the birds you want.

Your guide is also your travel companion, who will make sure you experience the native people, scenery, culture, history and food, first hand.

You will enjoy the advantage of all the attention you get in a small group, for the same price or perhaps even less, than you will pay if you travel with the large tour groups from other countries

Remember, the next time you travel, you do not have to miss the birdwatching if your partner or travel companions are non birders; a local guide is flexible, and will easily accommodate other needs too

Hiring a Birdingpal guide will boost the local economy and help protect birds other wildlife and their habitat

Stephen Boddington, your local Birdingpal guide
Growing up in the south of England, I became interested in birds at a very early age, starting with those in my parents' garden. Since then, I have lived in Yorkshire, the south of France, Germany and The Netherlands before settling in Brussels, and have birded extensively throughout most of Europe. In 1998, I birded the whole of Europe by train, visiting 20 countries in just 45 days and seeing 215 species, from Azure-winged Magpie in the Algarve to Long-tailed Skua in Lapland. An article recounting this epic journey was subsequently published in Birdwatching Magazine. I also spent a considerable amount of time in and around San Francisco, as well as birding in Texas, South Dakota, New York, New Jersey, Mexico, Costa Rica and Australia. I have taken part in two raptor migration surveys in the northern valleys of Israel, one in central Veracruz, and have spent two summers working as a bird guide in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil.

For birding in Belgium please send a message to Stephen.

Testimorial.
Thanks for making my trip to Belgium so wonderful. I can't believe we got 56 species in 3 hours from one location. 19 of those birds we saw were LIFE LIST birds for me, Again Many Thanks For such a great trip. I look forward to birding with you again.
Mike Ackley, New York, November 2010
Many thanks for your hospitality last week. It was a big pleasure for me to watch bird with you. I look forward to birding with you again.
Mr Mayanagi, Japan, October 2010
Hi Stephen, I am sending a sincere thank you for making my trip to Brussels very special and for saving the day when my
binoculars failed. What a pro you are.
Dawn Hooker, Indiana, March 2009

Bulgaria

Ivailo Nikolov, your local Birdingpal guide
My name is Ivailo Nikolov. I graduated in the Faculty of Biology of the University of Sofia with two specializations: 1 - Zoology of vertebrates and anthropology (with diploma work defended in ornithology); 2 - Fishfarming and ichthyology. For more than fifteen years I took part in many monitoring and other research scientific programs, concerning bird ringing, regional and migration studies on the avifauna throughout the whole country. My main interests are directed to investigations of the ornithofaunistical communities in different habitats: woods, meadows, shrubby areas and of course wetlands. The great field experience in finding and determination of all Bulgarian birds visually or by voice, collected so far in the country and throughout Europe, is of special importance for my recent occupation as a birding guide and organizer of birding tours in Bulgaria.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Ivailo.

Testimorial.
I would highly recommend Bulgaria and will certainly return myself. For anybody with a passion for raptors, like me, they are literally Eagles around every corner in the Rodopi Mountains. Our English speaking guide Ivailo was extremely knowledgeable and helpful (left me standing with airborne raptors) and went out of his way to ensure I has a successful visit. Many thanks Ivailo.
Mick Baron, UK. michael.baron3(AT)talktalk.net

Robert Crnkovic, your local Birdingpal guide
Robert Crnkovic, who is a well known and highly regarded birder in Croatia, having published papers on species as diverse as Yelkouan Shearwater, Black-winged Stilt
and Western Rock Nuthatch.

For birding in Croatia please send a message to Robert.

Testimorial.
We felt privileged to have a personal tour by Robert for a week. Each day when we woke to a rooster calling in Biograd, we knew it was a good start to a birding day.
He shared his expert knowledge and passion for birding and nature in the mountains, fields and at the seashore. Each day he introduced us to new habitat. When we watched the sun set over the Adriatic at night, we knew it was a perfect ending to an excellent birding experience.
Liza and Robert Weissler, USA

Czech Republic

Alena Rulfová, your local Birdingpal guide
I am student of zoology specialised in behavioural ecology and ethology of animals - focused to birds. I started
to do ornithology 7 years ago as a volunteer for the Czech Society for Ornithology. I have been doing Common Bird Monitoring Scheme since 2009 (independent fieldwork - quantitative census of all common bird species). I was also doing International Waterbird Count since 2007 until 2009 (independent fieldwork - quantitative censuses of
wintering waterbirds). I was born in Ceske stredohori - protected area at the north of the Czech republic. I study in Prague - Charles University in Prague (Faculty of Science). My thesis is focused to bioacustic of tropical birds of Asia. I spent 2 months in Asia and from Europian countries I like mainly Spain and France.
I have experience with birdguiding one American pair here in the Czech republic. All our country I can show You, but I love mainly Ceske stredohori.

For birding in the Czech Republic please send a message to Alena.

Testimorial.
My wife and I hired Alena as a birding guide during our recent trip to the Czech Republic. Our goal was to see and photograph several uncommon species that we failed to find during our previous visits. We were very impressed with Alena and found her to be a very experienced and enthusiastic birding guide and ornithologist. She was able to identify most birds by their calls and was very familiar with species distributions, habitats, and ecology. Such expertise greatly improved our chances of seeing rare and elusive species. She is also in touch with other bird experts and doesn’t hesitate to exploit their expertise in search of the best localities and best techniques to find certain species. Consequently, we were able to see and photograph such species as wryneck, penduline tit, white stork, white-tailed eagle, and even an elusive eagle owl. We are definitely going to use her services during our next visit to the Czech Republic.
Aaron and Tereza Ambos

Denmark/Sweden

Erik Moelgaard, your local Birdingpal guide
Erik’s love of birds and birding began at the age of thirteen. Erik have extensive experience guiding birding tours throughout Southern Sweden and Denmark guided more than 50 bird tours to all seven continents. His favourite continents is South America, where he have been more than 25 times and Antarctica. Since Erik moved to Sweden you can find him nearly all day at Falsterbo studying the famous raptor migration. He is also a specialist in Bulgaria and love to come there every year to watch the rich birdlife Bulgaria have to offer.

For birding in Denmark and Sweden please send a message to Erik.

Jan Wester, your local Birdingpal guide
I have been birdwatching in the local area for twenty years. All spieces that are present in the area will be found anytime of the year. Here is close both to forest and agricultural areas. We have also a famous and very handsome wetland area in the SW
end of lake Roxen close to my home. Due to environmental concern I preffer going by bike, but if needed a car can be borrowed. I have very good experience of travelling by bike and outdoor activities such as sleeping in forest, cocking over open fire etc.
Gear is available here. I have a company that sells organic wild birdfeed in wintertime and another company that does hayharvesting with scythe in meadows with high naturevalues in summertime. Welcome!

For birding in Sweden please send a message to Jan.

Estonia

Triin Ivandi, your local Birdingpal guide
Triin (b. 1980) grew up amidst nature in the lovely West-Estonian countryside and became an avid outdoor sports person. She became particularly intrigued with Estonia’s bogs, and began guiding bog-walk and kayaking tours in 2006. Triin studied environmental protection at university and continues to work and study intensively to become an expert birdwatching and general nature tour guide.

For birding in Estonia please send a message to Triin.

France

Andy Hargreaves, your local Birdingpal guide
Andy Hargreaves has a B.Sc. degree in Environmental Science and has worked in Provence reintroducing Griffon vultures to the area. As well as studying Griffon behaviour and ecology, Andy has taken part in numerous surveys of the region’s wildlife including 4 species of vultures, Tengmalm’s Owls, Beaver, Chamois, Ibex, Golden Eagle & Bonelli’s Eagle. He has also built up extensive contacts with local peasant farmers and conservationists alike. 14 years of all year round wildlife tours in the southern French pre Alps, Camargue, Crau & Rhone valley. Local knowledge - there really is no substitute!

For birding in France please send a message to Andy.

Testimorial.
Thank you all for making it happen so professionally but on a very personal level. Not many people can do that and it was much appreciated. P. King
Thanks again for a lovely three days! From a "twitcher's" point of view, it was quite remarkable: I haven't done a close comparison, but I think our species list was about as long as that posted on the Web for the 7-day WINGS trip. And ours was much richer in special birds (and special experiences) like the Griffon Vultures and the Calandra Larks. And from a broader perspective, spending time with Andy, being treated to great food, and enjoying Ste. Jalle put a wonderful exclamation point to our holiday in France. D & D Vaughan
We have been thinking about how you can improve your holidays, and have come to the conclusion that you can't! From the moment that you picked us up, it was excellent! The accommodation was just what we wanted. The meals were a triumph for Ruth, she is very talented when it comes to feeding groups of people and her personality makes you feel at ease. Knowing that we would be having picnic lunches, I was expecting a tupperware box with a sandwich and an apple. The daily spread that was laid on was brilliant. Andrew's local knowledge of what to find and where to find it was spot on. Absolutely loved the scenery on the drives to the birds. We both learnt an awful lot from Andrew. All in all it was a brilliant holiday. 37 birds that were new to me capped the week. Just hope your business goes from strength to strength. N & K Wyatt

Georgia

Giorgi Rajebashvili, your local Birdingpal guide
Giorgi is a dynamic guide with wide-ranging experience and a great enthusiasm. He has been leading birdwatching tours for a number of years within Georgia, and has traveled throughout Europe and the USA for projects related to bird conservation. He has also collaborated in the affixing of transmitters on endangered species within Georgia, and on a ‘nesting-box’ project for passerines. Currently he finished a master program in Leisure, Tourism and Environment, and stared his PhD regarding natural resource management. Furthermore, Giorgi is engaged in few projects related to sustainable tourism development of mountain regions. Aside from his bird-related work, Giorgi is a renowned alpinist and mountain climber, having had conquered a number of peaks, including Mount Kazbegi (Georgia, 5,047 m.) many times, Ushba (Georgia, 4,710 m.), and Lenin Peak (Pamir Range, Kyrgyzstan, 7,134 m.). On his time off, Giorgi enjoys nature photography, mountain-biking, skiing, and rafting.

For birding in Georgia please send a message to Giorgi.

Germany

Rolf Nessing, your local Birdingpal guide
Rolf Nessing, born 1959, grew up in a then rural area near Berlin between tortoises, lizards and snakes of his father, Rolf Nessing senior, and his mother’s domestic animals. In 1973, at the early age of 14 and strongly influenced by his contact with living nature, he became a volunteer conservation helper in the field of nature protection. His main areas of interest were ornithology, entomology, herpetology and botany.
From 1984 to 1992 he was professionally active at several nature protection stations in the federal state of Brandenburg and made a major contribution to the development of these facilities and the environmental education conducted there.
Rolf Nessing has been a voluntary bird ringing assistant in the field of scientific ringing since 1974. From 2000 onwards he has held a ringing licence from the Hiddensee Ringing Centre and has been in involved internationally in ringing in the following countries: 1997 Biological Station Rybachy (formerly Rossitten) near Kaliningrad/Russia; 2000 Israel and Palestine; 2001 the island of Comino off Malta; 2003 Titreyen Göl near Manavgat/Turkey; 2005 Fuentes de Nava, Spain. His naturalist activities have also taken him to Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway), the Balkans (Bulgaria, Romania), Eastern Europe (Ukraine, Poland, Armenia, Georgia), the Mediterranean, Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan) and Australia.
Rolf Nessing has been a freelance environmental educationalist, trainer and environmental lecturer since 1992.
Rolf possesses first class field ornithological knowledge of the bird life of the Western Palaearctic, especially their songs and calls. He has published more than 30 articles in professional ornithological, herpetological and entomological journals.

For birding in Germany please send a message to Rolf.

Greece

Spyros Skareas, your local Birdingpal guide

Spyros Skareas is the main tour guide for all tours. Since 2004, he is proud to be assigned by the Hellenic Ornithological Society as Caretaker of Schinias National Park on a volunteer basis. Monitoring bird species of the area yearlong, tracking the threats of the natural environment of the Park, as well as guiding birdwatching trips nationwide are some of his interests, not to mention his never ending love for bees (being a professional beekeeping advisor and amateur beekeeper) and plants. He also runs a landscape designing business, focusing on Mediterranean plant species and bird gardening. He has an excessive experience in tour leading eco-orientated trips, being a former tour guide for Adrenaline S.A. He has published several articles on entomological, ornithological and environmental issues, in international and national periodicals and newspapers. He is administrator of the
longest running birding blog in Greece www.greekbirding.blogspot.com.
He speaks Greek (native tongue), English, French fluently and fairly well Spanish.

For birding in Greece please send a message to Spyros.

Testimonials.
Thank you for your letter and the excellent birding opportunity in Athens. I was very pleased to spend a splendid day with you around Athens. It was great to find all my target birds, other beautiful species and having a nice trek on the mountains' slopes close to the capital. I enjoyed very much your company and your expertise. Thank you, and hope to see you again during another birding trip in Greece. Attila Simay, Hungary. attilasimay(AT)hotmail.com
The birding day was very enjoyable and you were an extremely good guide. You were prompt in picking me up at my hotel and we immediately went to the birding areas. Your English was very good, knowledge of the birds and the area seemed to be "top grade", and you made every effort to answer all of my questions. I would be more than happy to recommend your services to any wishing to bird the Athens' area. Gary Grey, South Carilina, USA. popsgaryg(AT)yahoo.com
In may 2006 I made a birdtrip to Greece. When I looked after locations to se birds I came across Spyros Skareas, who is a bird guide and tour leader. I can really recommend others birdwatchers, that will come and look for birds in Greece, to hire Spyros for guiding. In my case i had great help finding Rock Partridge and Olive-tree Warbler. Hans Westerberg, Sweden. hans.westerberg(AT)telia.com
I had a very nice day with Terry. Shot over 33 species. The last one, the Hooppoe I found next door to the hotel in a park.
Mona also enjoyed her guide Vivi. Thanks for arranging this. Crister
Hello Spyros: All went well on my one day bird tour. Your guides are professional, worked hard to find the target birds, enthusiastic about birds and their work, excellent skills with eyes and ears, and were pleasant and helpful to be with. Added 4 life birds and some good ticks of ssp., and learned when to come to find those missed migrants and early departing migrants like Rueppells Warbler and C. Bunting. Hope that time and funds will allow me another visit. Thanks again for your help and guidance. Would recommend you to anyone seeking help in Greece. Blessings, Duncan Himes of Mesa Arizona USA
Thank you for a wonderful day of birding. On May 10, 2011, we went for a full day tour. It was an absolute joy. I would highly recommend using Greece Bird Tours if you want to see a lot of birds with someone who really knows the birds and where to find them. Once again, I cannot express how great of a day I had. Thank you. Sincerely, Jeffrey Mondville USA

Hungary

Zoltan Pabar, your local Birdingpal guide
Zoltan is graduate from the Faculty of Agricultural, Water and Enviromental Management at the the Tessedik Samuel College in Szarvas. His thesis was on the Rehabilitation possibilities of the backwaters of the Great Hungarian Plain. He speaks and writes in English and he understands a little German as well. Zoltan started birdwatching when he was thirteen and started fishing when he was only ten. He was the leader of the Barn Owl conservation programme in South-East Hungary. In 2006, he spent three months in the Netherlands studying birds and their diverse habitats. In 2007, he was in the United Kingdom, improving his English.
He began serious photography five years ago and his work has been displayed at exhibitions. His favourite subjects are birds, plants and macro. As a keen birdwatcher and photographer, he has visited several different Europian countries (e.g. Ireland, Spain), as well as Canada, Thailand and Egypt.

For birding in Hungary please send a message to Zoltan.

Testimorial.
Nature in the land of the puszta's in spring is as we experienced just fantastic. Photographic opportunities are endless and under the excellent guidance of Zoltan I could explore various unique options to study the behaviour of birds and mammals. Red-footed falcon's stool my heart and several photo-opportunities were devoted to capture flying patterns and mating behaviour, see the accompanying picture. In addition the nice stay in the guesthouse provided the whole family a great experience and an excellent taste of Hungarian hospitality! Jan van der Greef from The Netherlands

Csaba Tolgyesi, your local Birdingpal guide
I was born in 1984, in Kecskemet, Hungary. I started birdwatching when I started walking as my parents worked at the Kiskunsag National Park and were also birdwatchers in a way. So, by now I have collected a comprehensive knowledge about the places in the Kiskunsag National Park and its vicinity where the best species can be observed with the least effort and the least disturbance.
I have a BA degree in biology. My thesis was about the effects of climate change on the vegetation of Kiskunsag. I am also an English-Hungarian translator and a contractual tour guide at the Kiskunsag National Park. I am specialized on birdwatching and botanical excursions.
I have been a member of the Hungarian Ornithological Society for 13 years and whenever I have time I work at the bird ringing center of the national park. Me and all the members of my family nurse injured birds. Some remarkable species successfully repatriated: White Stork, Roller, Bee Eater, Syrian Woodpecker, Golden Oriole etc.
My three best self-found species in the Kiskunsag: Lesser White-fronted Goose, Cattle Egret and the only record of Black Vulture in the last 80 years. Some other good species on my list: Long-billed Dowitcher, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Black-winged Pratincole, Ruddy Shelduck or Hume’s Leaf Warbler.
I started visiting other countries for birdwatching only a few years ago but since then I have visited Egypt, Austria, Slovakia, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Slovenia, Tunisia, Greece and Finland.
Fees: small groups (up to 3 people): 60 EUR/day, larger groups: 80 EUR/day. Transportation and accomodation are not included.

For birding in Hungary please send a message to Csaba.

Italy

Marco Valtriani, your local Birdingpal guide
Marco is a biology graduate of Pisa University, where he wrote a thesis on shorebird ecology in the Maremma. Over the past sixteen years, he has been involved in a number of important ornithological studies as a consultant and data collector. He puts his extensive knowledge of Italian birds and birding to use as a guide, an environmental education, and a tour planner.

For birding in Italy please send a message to Marco.

Marcello Grussu, your local Birdingpal guide
Marcello lives in Cagliari, in the south of Sardinia. He has been working as a freelance guide for about 25 years for different associations and companies either Italian and other Europeans for ornithological and bird watching trips in Sardinia and North Africa (Tunisia, Morocco). He has studied birds in many countries across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East area.
In Sardinia, Marcello has acquired an unique experience above the birds of his own island and discovering new breeding species (some of which: Phoenicopterus roseus and Bubulcus Ibis which were on the Italian news), and numerous rarities (some of which: Calidris ruficollis and Lanius isabellinus which were on the Italian firsts). He also published the Checklist of birds of Sardinia (http://gruppoornitologicosardo.blogspot.com/2008_11_25_archive.html).
He is the Chairman of the Ornithological Sardinian Association (GOS) and he is the Editor of the ornithological and bird watching magazine in the Island "Aves Ichnusae".

For birding in Italy please send a message to Marcello.

Roberto Gildi, your local Birdingpal guide
Roberto lives in central Italy, 80 km north to Rome, near the antique village of Viterbo; the name of all the country is Tuscia. Tuscia is a very attractive hilly and agricoltural area, with fantastic landscapes, where there are many birds to see like: Calandra Lark, Stone Curlew, Roller, Lanner Falcon, Montagus Harrier, Short-toed Eagle, Red-backed Woodchat, Lesser Grey Shrike.
The area is rich of volcanos and so there are also many interesting lakes, for exemple Lake of Vico, where to see important species of aquatic birds: Pochard, Tufted Duck, Ferruginous Duck, Red-crested Pochard. Around these lakes we find many woods rich on beach, oak and chesnut trees, whith Green Woodpecker, Great Spotted and Little Spotted Woodpecker, Wryneck, Honey Buzzard, Black and Red Kite and Sparrowhawk.
Another very marvellous caracteristic is the nearness of the sea, where there we find important wetlands in central Italy: Tarquinia's Saltpan, Burano's Lake, Orbetello's Lagoon and Ombrone's Delta.
During the winter we can observe a lot of birds even 5000-6000 Flamingos, thousand of Cormorants, Grey Goose, many species of ducks and then in these places it coming back to breeding the osprey and crenes remain in the winter together some species of Eagles like White-tailed, Great Spotted and Booted Eagle.
In the east we have the high montains of Appennino Laziale-Abruzzese with antique and very attractive ruines. Here the bear and the wolf live, but also Griffon Vulture, Golden Eagle, White-backed Woodpecker, Wallcreper, Rock Partrige, Rock Sparrow, Rock Bunting, Snow Finch and Red-billed Chough.

For birding in Italy please send a message to Roberto.

Sergio Mantovani, your local Birdingpal guide
I was born in Cremona, in the central Po valley, where I still live. I started to do what is now called "ecotourism" when I was a child. I'm a professional journalist and guide. In the last 15 years I have been engaged in specialized journalism, writing more than 400 articles, focused on nature and wildlife. I have been writing for the best Italian magazines (i.e. Geo, Airone, Oasis), but also for local newspapers. My passion for birdwatching is 20 years old and I've been doing some ornithological research focused on species of my land: an agricultural land crossed by rivers, rich of waters, surprisingly rich of birds.

For birding in Italy please send a message to Sergio.

Lithuania

Boris Belchev, your local Birdingpal guide
I am Ecology student at Vytautas Magnus university in Kaunas, Lithuania. For me birding was hobby since 2005, when I join Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds (www.bspb.org) as a volunteer. In 2007 I travel to Alaska and my passion about wildlife photography, become true. In autumn 2007 I moved to Lithuania, where I live since then, I start exploring the wildlife of this small Baltic country, and as I get more keen with the areas, I decided to try guiding birdwatchers, as no body else does it at that time. Soon I get my first two clients from Italy and Spain. The country offers wide variety of mammals and birds (376 species). I am in progress to start my first official tours in April 2013. My main target is Woodpecker and Owl observations in central and north part of the country. I cooperate with local birdwatchers, so I get fresh information from them about the birds in the areas.Visit my web site

For birding in Lithuania please send a message to Boris.

Netherlands

Jacob de Vries, your local Birdingpal guide
With more than 40 years of experience, he is a well trained birdwatcher. In weekends, during the period October till May he leads excursions for private groups up to 6 persons, in combination with sleeping facility all-in in a characteristic cottage " Heemst" on the Island of Terschelling in the Wadden Sea. Basic guiding fee for an individual euro 80 per day, each extra person 20 euro plus expenses.

For birding in Netherlands please send a message to Jacob.

Pieter van der Luit, your local Birdingpal guide
Pieter was born in October 1969 and lives in a town close to Leiden, the Netherlands. He started birdwatching around the age of 7 when he noticed a lot of birds he had never seen before on a family walk in the Oostvaardersplassen.
After a brief interruption during high school he picked up birding again in 1991, trying to see as many birds as possible in Holland and since '96 he has been birding abroad. Since then he has birded all around the world, visiting all 7 continents and countries like Uganda, South Africa, Peru, Argentina, Australia, The Solomon Islands, Svalbard and Costa Rica, resulting in a lifelist of well over 3000 birds.
Birding in Holland is a wonderful experience and if you want an experienced guide to accompany you, Pieter would be happy to show you the birds of Holland.

For birding in Netherlands please send a message to Pieter.

Norway

Anders Faugstad Mæland, your local Birdingpal guide
Anders Faugstad Mæland, born in 1977, has been a birder since the age of 8 years. Over the years I has developed my birding passion to become a very skilled ornithologist. I have established himself as a professional birder in Norway and led and taken part in a wide variety of ornithological surveys and biodiversity projects.
I am educated as a nature concervationist and natur science teacher and was the main ringer and migration counter at Jomfruland birdobservatory from 1997-2011. I have done a lot of surveys, ringing and guiding all over Norway and have an intimate knowledge of both Arctic Norway/Varanger and southern Norway.
My main areas for guiding is Finnmark/Varanger, South-east Norway and Southern Sweeden.

For birding in Norway please send a message to Anders.

Terje Kolaas, your local Birdingpal guide
Terje Kolaas has been an active bird watcher, ringer and photographer since 1989. He is educated as a nature conservationist and supervisor. Besides guiding, he currently works with the birdwatching products for Norway nature Travel company Din Tur and he teaches Bird Identification at Nord-Trøndelag University College. He also runs the birding tour company, Northern Birding, in addition to being the county chairman of the Norwegian Ornithological Society in Nord-Trøndelag and a member of the regional rarity commite. Since 2000 Terje has been involved in a genetics project under the direction of NTNU (The Norwegian University of Science and Technology) studying House Sparrow metapopulations on islands along the coast of Helgeland in Nordland county. In 2011 Terje published the
book "Flyktige motiver - the Bird photographers A-B-C" - the first book ever written in Norwegian covering bird photography as a specific genre. In addition to travelling back and forth in Norway, Terje the past few years has visited several other countries searching for birds, including USA, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Seychelles, Gambia, Spain (annually) Croatia, Switzerland, Estonia, Portugal, Turkey etc.

For birding in Norway please send a message to Terje.

Poland

Adam Michalak, your local Birdingpal guide
A licensed travel guide for all of Poland, Pomeranian Region, tourist guide for Gdansk, Sopot and Gdynia
I have a master degree in zoology, thesis about the cormorant and the heron and used to work for the zoo in Gdansk.
Worked for BirdLife International Poland – OTOP (Polish Society for the Protection of Birds) as protection of birds officer,
manager of Karsiborska Kepa BirdLife –OTOP Reserve located near Swinoujscie and Beka Reserve. Near Gdynia. I also worked for the Marine Aquarium in Gdynia but now runs my own travel office and teaches ecology in lanscape parks.
Private tourbus driver (7 seats).
Contact: mobile phone + 48 601 234 169

For birding in Poland please send a message to Adam.

Portugal

Joao Jara, your local Birdingpal guide
Birds & Nature Tours is the first Portuguese company specifically dedicated to birds and birding field tours.
Birds & Nature is owned and managed by Joao Jara, who also guides the majority of the activities.
Joao was born in Lisbon and studied biology at the Faculdade de Ciencias de Lisboa, from where he developed his professional career in the pharmaceutical industry, as senior manager and director of various multinational companies. With 30 years of field experience, he knows the field of Portuguese birding intimately and was a member of the board of SPEA (Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves – Birdlife in Portugal), as well as voting member and chairman of the PRC (Portuguese Rarities Committee). Author and co-author of several articles about birds, Joao has led many field tours (in Portugal and abroad), as well as bird identification courses for SPEA. Besides birds, he has an active special interest in amphibians, reptiles and fishes. Joao is fluent in English, French and Spanish.

For birding in Portugal please send a message to Joao.

June Taylor and Peter Dedicoat, your local Birdingpal guides
ALGARVE BIRDERS are June Taylor and Peter Dedicoat based in Tavira. If you are staying in the Eastern Algarve, we are your guides to the local area including the Ria Formosa (particularly Tavira, Santa Luzia, Ludo, Quinta do Lago and Olhao) and Castro Marim. We are also able to show you the birds of the Castro Verde – Mértola area of the Baixo Alentejo.
For many years we have been guiding birdwatchers and leading birding tours in various parts of the world including the USA, Costa Rica, Cuba, Botswana, The Gambia, Malawi, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania and Uganda. However, we also have years of experience in the Algarve and one of us is usually here. We are both from the UK and English-speaking.

For birding in Portugal please send a message to June or Peter.

Domingos Leitao, your local Birdingpal guide
Domingos is a professional ornithologist. He has a PhD. graduation in winter ecology of Lapwing and Golden Plover and works as Conservation Officer for SPEA, the BirdLife partner in Portugal. He watches birds for 25 years and has an extensive knowledge of all bird areas in mainland Portugal and in some Azorean Islands.
He travelled in all Western Europe and already visited North America, Middle East, Tropical Africa and Southeast Asia. He has a life list of more than 600 bird species, of those more than 320 where seen in Portugal. He is a bird tour guide for more than 15 years and has leaded tours for some of the top British and Swiss companies.
More recently got interested in other Portuguese wildlife, particularly flowers, butterflies and dragonflies. He leaves 70 km North of Lisbon, and can guide you for a couple of days to see birds and other wildlife in any place from the Tagus basin, in the Centre, to the Algarve, in the South.

For birding in Portugal please send a message to Domingos.

Testimorial.
4th January 2010 - I and all the people agree, we had a wonderful week in the Algarve. I have to thank you again and I'm glad that it also was a good week for you. I'm sure we'll come back to the Algarve with another group. I hope that you will accompany us then again. Kind regards from Switzerland. Peter
1st April 2010 - Dear Domingos, Thank you once more for all the interesting observations you have given to us - especially also the non-ornithological ones! It was a very, very interesting trip for me! With kind regards and best wishes for your future activities. Gerhart (Botanist)

Romania

Baciu Mihai, your local Birdingpal guide
I was born 40 years ago in Romania and since I was child I liked nature and birds. After high school I started to work for the
Danube Delta Biorphere Reserve and was ranger for 11 years, where I learn aboute birds and the passion for nature. I'm also
specialist guide for TV teams and mass media and have organized tours for many television companies around the world. I have two boys: Tudor(in photo) and Codrut, who will be (I hope) future guides in the Danube Delta.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Baciu.

Testimorial.
We participated in a birdwatching tour August/07 and we are very satisfied with the arrangements. Mihai Baciu is a very skilled birdwatcher, and this year in May we have again booked an exciting tour of 10 days in the Danube delta, where we will have time to explore the lakes and small canals from Tulcea to the Black Sea. We can recommend Mihai and Sorin as qualified tour guides.
Ole Fosvald, Danmark, ole_fosvald(AT)mail.tele.dk
Mihai, guide voyant les oiseaux avant qu, ils sont la, porteur de bonnes nouvelles et sourtout de beaucoup d,humeur
Raymond Aendekerk, Luxemburg, aendekerk(AT)biolabel.lu
We are delighted to confirm that Mihai (Baciu) is an excellent guide. We did a ten-day trip with him and his business partner Sorin in 2006. This was not exclusively a birding trip as we wanted to see something of the country, the Carpathians etc. as
well as the Danube Delta. He knows the country well, is efficient, resourceful and a great travelling companion, who really looked after us. His birding abilities were outstanding and I believe, it was he, who first identified the White-Tailed Plover
in the Delta. We can recommend him unreservedly.
Sincerely, Dr Alan and Susan Cowan, sandacowan(AT)grapevine.net.au

Anna and Tamara Panchisheva, your local Birdingpal guides
My name is Tamara and I am an independent tour guide in Russian Altai. Located deep in the heart of the Siberian wilderness, covered by impassable taiga forests and high mountain peaks, Altai region is one of the top attractions of the Russian wilderness. I am fully fluent in English and my daughter Anna speaks French and Spanish and drives 4x4 Russian Jeep UAZ Patriot. We offer nature observation tours through Siberian wilderness with horse riding/sledging, fishing, bird watching, etc. to small groups up to a 4 people. We meet our guests in Siberian city Barnaul and after driving 170 km we arrive to the basic accommodation- a cedar wood cottage in a small town, Belokurikha (ski spa resort), located at the foot of Altai mountains, in a close vicinity to Altai Golden Mountains Sanctuary (UNESCO World Heritage site).
A trip into this region can be very fruitful and you will be rewarded by watching such Siberian gems as Siberian Rubythroat, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler and Yellow-breasted Bunting, that occur widely and are not difficult to find.
Birding in Siberian taiga forests is very special and every serious birder should do this at least one time in the life. Here you will find a true heaven with Thrushes, Flycatchers and many Warbler species.

For birding in Siberia please send a message to Anna and Tamara.

Serbia

Dragan Simic, your local Birdingpal guide
Dragan Simic is Belgrade-born birder who has exercised this pursuit across Balkans and southern Africa. He has been a founding
member and the first Chair of the League for Ornithological Action, one of the most active bird protection NGOs in Serbia. Dragan has been involved in several monitoring projects on globally threatened species, waterbird migration monitoring with the aim of prevention of the spread of bird flu, mid-winter counts of waterbirds and other programs for the development of avi-tourism in Serbia. His contributions to Serbian ornithology have been acknowledged by BirdLife International (2004) Birds
in Europe: population estimates, trends and conservation status; Benny Gensbol (2004) Guide To The Birds Of Prey Of Britain & Europe, North Africa & The Middle East; also published in Acrocephalus, Babbler, Ciconia, Vulture News.
He speaks fluent English and Serbian. Operative zone: wider Belgrade area and southern Vojvodina province. He offers special
discount for disabled birders.
Phone him at +381 63 7669239.

For birding in Serbia please send a message to Dragan.

Testimorial.
I went out with Dragan for 2 days of birding in the wider Belgrade area. Thanks to his excellent birding skills, we saw a total of 81 species in the very end of a migratory season. Dragan and his friend Marko Rakovic were most amiable and knowledgeable birders, and I enjoyed my time with them immensely. I would definitely recommend birding in Serbia, especially with Dragan, and
I hope to go again sometime. Dorothy Harper, Canada. dharper(AT)xplornet.com

Slovenia

Tomaz Remzgar, your local Birdingpal guide
I was born in 1984, in a village in central Slovenia, surrounded by forests and from my early age I was most fascinated by nature and animals. This was also the main reason that I chose to study biology on University of Ljubljana, where I’m finishing my thesis on corncrake distribution on Ljubljana Moor. I started birding when I was about 10 years old and in 1998, I joined the Slovenian Bird Watching and Conservation Society (DOPPS) where I have gathered most of my birdwatching knowledge. Since then I have participated on many bird conservation projects, monitorings and censuses and for the last five years I’ve also been working as a guide on Iski Morost Nature Reserve.
Since the beginning of my birdwatching career I’ve crossed the entire Slovenia many times and gathered extensive knowledge about the distribution of birds and also the location of the best sites to find hard-to-see species. Even though Slovenia is one of the smallest countries in the world it is one of the most diverse. It is surrounded by Alps in the north, Pannonian Basin in the east, Dinaric forest complex to the south and Adriatic Sea to the south-west. This makes it an ideal place for observing Central European forest and alpine bird species and there is also a strong Mediterranean component to the fauna and flora in the south-west part of the country. You can see 217 breeding bird species in Slovenia and additional 150 species during the migration.
In 2012, I started a company Alecturist which is the first company in Slovenia that practices Birdwatching tourism. We offer a variety of one-day tours to different habitats and interesting birdwatching sites in Slovenia. The tours are organized for small groups of guests, max. 4 persons and can be led in English, Slovene or Serbo-Croatian language. The basic price for one day is 100Euros. Additional payment of mileage for the trip is added to the price. Transportation, a snack and free renting of birdwatching equipment is included in the price.

For birding in Slovenia please send a message to Tomaz.

Spain

Bob Buckler, your local Birdingpal guide
Bob Buckler an experienced bird guide with over 30 years of field study under his belt and over 20 years tour guide experience.
Bob has led over 200 tours during the last 20 years including a 10 year stint as a freelance bird guide for the Portland Heights Hotel, Dorset, England where he set up, and led, their successful weekend breaks. He has also led tours the length and breadth of Britain with American birders during that time. He has travelled extensively in the UK. Spain, Morocco, France and Greece and made birding trips to parts of the USA, Canada, Israel, The Gambia, Egypt and the Balearic Islands.
Bob is successful because he offers a casual approach to bird-watching and guides with an easy going, friendly nature. You are not lectured to or confused with too much “expert” knowledge, the trips are good humoured and suitable for beginners and accomplished bird-watchers alike.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Bob.

Testimorial.
Our birding days with you were terrific and your style of leading suits us perfectly, thank you Bob. We have had a great week and hope to see you and Dawn again soon. Pat & Kevin, Leominster, UK. Sept 2011
This birding trip had been much anticipated & has surpassed our expectations as a learning experience. Much is different from what we are familiar with & you are a great teacher Bob. We will be telling our friends about the great trips you offer. David and Wendy, Melbourne, Australia. May 2011
Yet again a fantastic week of bird-watching and eating Dawn’s wonderful meals. The company was excellent, the birds a delight – many and varied. For me (Rita) seeing the Golden Eagle for the first time was my highlight but all the birds were a joy. Ann’s top bird was the Bee-eater. Bob and Dawn’s hospitality is something not to be missed and a magnet to come again. Rita & Ann, Sussex, UK. April 2011

Pau Lucio, your local Birdingpal guide
Pau Lucio is the main tour guide for all tours. Forestry Engineer and MSc. in Environmental Science, was born in Gandia (Valencia). He has collaborated with Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust Slimbridge (UK) as a reserve warden.
He has worked also as a warden in the coastal mountains of Gandia. Currently he is involved in conservation projects about bird migration and the importance of Spanish coastal wetlands.
He is very keen on ringing and he is one of the members who runs the ringing station in Pego-Oliva Marsh Natural Park. He runs a company known as Birdwatching Spain www.birdwatchingspain.net and offers a wide variety of wildlife tours along the year, included an Iberian Lynx Tour. He also works as a guide for different well-known international wildlife companies.
He speaks Spanish (native tongue), Catalan and English.

Should you only need a guide for a day please send a message to Pau.

Testimorial.
I wanted to thank you for your friendliness and let you know how much we enjoyed watching the great bustard on display. We are thinking going back to Spain next April and we wonder if you will be available to guide us to the Griffon Vulture place you talked to us. Elma van Bruggen, Eindhoven, Netherlands. elmavanbruggen(AT)yahoo.com
We would like to thank you again for your help and hospitality with the day's birding last week.
It was one of the highlights of our stay and we felt you helped us to understand much more about the area and environment.
Hopefully we will meet up again sometime either in Spain or in the Ireland. Best wishes for all your plans. John Smith, Cork, Ireland. John_LSmith(AT)yahoo.es
The birding was wonderful and you answered all of my questions, not only of birds but of Spanish culture as well. I would be happy to recommend your services to all of my birders friends I know in Germany. Brenda Johnson, Munich, Germany. Brendajohnson72(AT)hotmail.com

Mick Richardson, your local Birdingpal guide
Mick Richardson is a wildlife guide in the area around Granada in Andalucia, Southern Spain and has 6 years guiding experience in this area. Mick has been birding for well over thirty years and has visited many of the best birding sites in the USA, Morocco, Israel and Europe. He also has a great interest in the Butterflies, Dragonflies, Orchids and Wildflowers of the region allowing visitors to experience all that this wonderful countryside has to offer. His tours are run professionally but in a friendly and relaxed way. Mick is enthusiastic to see the species but also is keen to show nature at its best. The tours are tailored around the needs of the client, either general wildlife for the beginner or for the experienced birder targeting specific species.

Testimorial.
I HAVE NEVER ENCOUNTERED A BIRD LEADER WHO TRIED HARDER TO ENSURE THE MOST WAS MADE OF A TOUR.
I greatly enjoyed wonderful birding in a delightful area, easily accessible to magic areas of scenic beauty. I've never encountered a bird leader who tried harder to ensure the most was made of a tour. Fantastic birds, even from the cosy accommodation so well catered for by Jayne. I wish her and Mick well, their care for detail and hospitality deserves the best.
Dennis Coutts (The Shetland Birder). Lerwick, Shetland Islands.
It was a first class trip I had to your area with many great spottings. On the way back I came around to the following conclusion as to the ranking of the new species:
- Subalpine warbler - Red-necked nightjar. These stood out as the main twitches because they are rare birds to me and they were elusive, it required persistency, luck and a top-notch guide to book these species, and they would never be available to me in Denmark.
- Collared pratincole - Black-winged kite. These were beauties that lent themselves to lengthy observations so that you could enjoy them as long as you wanted.
- eagle owl. Honourable mentioning for the majestic way it ruled the cliff.
This was my 18th birding expedition outside Denmark and it set a record of 23 species, the former record of 19 species was from Poland in May 2007 (that was with a group of 7 people which is a bit of a handicap as each observation takes longer time than if you were alone with a good guide).
So altogether our birding tour was a great success for which I am totally satisfied. Your intimate knowledge of areas and species coupled with a strong determination to show me what I wanted to see made it all unforgettable. We will have to be serious about a possible follow-up to this as we have already started talking about.
Thanks very much and best regards, Niels

For birdwatching in Granada please send a message to Mick.

Turkey

Silas Olofson, your local Birdingpal guide
I've been birding for as long as I remember. As I got older bird watching got more and more serious. Now I live in Turkey were I arrange birding tours in most of Turkey. If you are interested in a cheap and good birding experience in Turkey just let me know. I offer guidence in famouse birding areas in Central and Eastern Anatolia. Hotels, transport, plane tickets and guidence can be arranged at very affordable prizes in cooperation with a Turkish Tourist Agency. If you just wish to get advise on where to go or if you're passing through the Ankara-area for a day or two and wish to do some local birding just let me know. I'll be happy to help you out!

For birding in Turkey please send a message to Silas.

United Kingdom

Richard Palmer, your local Birdingpal guide
Richard Palmer has been a birder and all-round naturalist for nearly fifty years! Richard was born and brought up in South Yorkshire, often assisting his father who was the first warden at Potteric Carr YWT reserve. As well as birds, Richard took an early interest in wild flowers, butterflies and moths and, particularly reptiles and amphibians.
In the 1990s, Richard and his brother, Malcolm ran Calandra Holidays specialising in bird watching tours in Spain and the United Kingdom.
In recent years, upon retiring from a professional career, Richard has been lecturing on topical bird subjects and operating regular trips and holidays in the UK and abroad, His style is essentially relaxed, easy-going and humorous.
Richard’s quest for birds has also taken him to many parts of the world. His particular ‘specialities’ are Southern Europe, the Caribbean and Central America and the Indian Subcontinent.

For birding in United Kingdom please send a message to Richard.

Testimorial.
Richard is a really good leader. I have been doing annual birding trips with him for five years now and they have all been enjoyable, well-organized and covering many aspects of nature and local interest. Richard really knows his subject in depth and shares his knowledge with a very easy-going, humorous style. J.H. Devon UK

Linda Jenkinson, your local Birdingpal guide
My name is Linda Jenkinson and I have been birdwatching for over 20 years. I have worked with conservation organisations such as the Leeds Urban Wildlife Group; the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and the RSPB Leeds Local Group. During my time with my colleagues on the RSPB Leeds committee I organised indoor events, coach outings and weekend trips to a variety of locations around the UK. I also produced a bi-annual newsletter and the group’s web pages. Out of this voluntary work came the exciting opportunity to become a tutor in the adult education sector and I worked for local colleges for 5 years. So far I have taken over 60 adults through a 25 week course either through the college or on a freelance basis.

For birding in United Kingdom please send a message to Linda.

Testimorial.
Thanks to Linda's birdwatching class I now see the natural world in a totally new way. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and her wealth of experience, and skill at finding and identifying birds, made the learning a pleasure. Caroline, Leeds.
Linda has been an inspirational, fun and very knowledgeable teacher and she has to be the best you could ever hope to find. She makes bird watching great fun and what starts as a passing interest soon becomes a life-long passion. I have no hesitation in recommending her! Liz, Leeds.

Dave Slater, your local Birdingpal guide
Professional tour guide in the Scottish Highlands. Birding Ecosse provides low cost, great value fully guided half or full day trips in the Scottish Highlands.More info on www.birdingecosse.co.uk

For birding in Scotland please send a message to Dave.

Testimorial.
Thoroughly enjoyable very successful day in difficult circumstances, professionally done. Would have no problem recommending you to friends. D&L Cumbria
Did a day trip with David from Birding Ecosse. Excellent day despite strong winds. His knowledge and expertise was immense and he was happy to share it in order to help you improve your own skill. He provided tea and biscuits and few good laughs too. SM Norfolk
A thoroughly enjoyable day by a keen birder and someone who enjoys their area. David is very knowledgeable and know his area well. Brill David – thank you very much. Good luck with it all! L & R Doble. London
David. This is to thank you again for the most enjoyable few hours in your company. Red Throated Diver and especially Ring Ouzel more than made up for the grim weather! RF Durham
I had an absolutely fantastic day, and by the time I went through my notes carefully I had 62 species with no less than 8 (yes eight!!) lifers. I can also confirm not 1 or 2 but a whole telephone line full of the main target bird!! I will most definitely be back soon. RD Dalgetty Bay